One thing I just realized it that there will be a #1 Center coming out of this draft.

Most mock drafts don't have a true center coming off the board until pick 9 or 10 with either Joe Veleno or Barret Hayton. One of these two, or perhaps someone going 10-25 could be a #1 center for a team like Mark Scheifele or Claude Giroux. Neither of those two were taken in the top 3, yet eventually became #1 centers that most teams would kill to have.

I still want 'best player available', because nearly every position is a need right now. But it's food for thought that one of these underrated centers will end up becoming a top-flight center.
- ObeseOprah

Would've been nice if Winnipeg left Scheifele for the Hawks and taken Mark what's his name....................

Weighted balls.....you know Bettman rigged the thing.
- powerenforcer

Weighted balls? Not something I would acclimate with Bergman.

can anyone enlighten me why Pekka Rinne is not facing a discipline hearing for a 2 handed lumber jack style swing with his goalie stick to a Jets player with his back turned. A little higher and he could have broken a few ribs or potentially other much worse damage.
- glennjpawlak22

Dinner is quoted in the fan article as saying it was "just a gap on the back". What an ass..

That is possible no different than Shaw. However he has that grit to his game with some skill, a decent skater. And for the love of God he hits and doesn't take Sh!t from other teams.
- BGKarras

Different than shaw. I really liked shaw, but he was more of an irritant to the other teams. Didn't see him being able to put the hurt on the other team that Tom Wilson can, and I'm referring g to just being able to hit clean and heavy..

can anyone enlighten me why Pekka Rinne is not facing a discipline hearing for a 2 handed lumber jack style swing with his goalie stick to a Jets player with his back turned. A little higher and he could have broken a few ribs or potentially other much worse damage.
- glennjpawlak22

Can anyone explain at what level in this society is it acceptable for someone to take a club, grab it like a baseball bat and swing it into another person with the intention to inflict harm? If I did that one day at the golf course or had done it one day on the ball diamond or at a bar with a pool cue, I can guaranteed I'd be up on assault charges.r

Penalized during the game or not, a two_handed Sao g with a stick should be an immediate ejection and subsequent suspension. There is absolutely no reason for this and no excuse that can be accepted.

Re: Tom Wilson

The dude is nothing but another Matt Cooke. Could be a decent player if be dropped the garbage and played the game. He's going to end someone's career sometime soon and it isn't going to be pretty. No place for players like that in the game and he should be facing a heavy suspension.

How bad is the US team that Osterle made it?
- fattybeef

I agree with you that he's going to get suspended and deserves it, however, I'm sure he makes the opposition aware of him when he's on the ice, and as a Blackhawks fan, I would love to have him. He is tall and it affects his hits and he also launches his body upward just about every time. I think he needs to be
taught to bend his knees a little and make sure that his shoulder lands directly in the chest area on all his checks. It's a simple coaching technique that MUST be taught to him or you are correct that he is going to even more severely hurt somebody and end a career. Maybe the Capitals Organization should suffer along with his suspensions with a huge fine. Then they would forced to teach this guy how to body check within the rules of the NHL. All head shots deserve a suspension and fine. A 10 game suspension and a million dollar fine to the team would clean this BS up quickly. Just a thought.

Per my post at the end of JL's last blog, Buf wouldn't fit in Q's soft-as-cotton defense where guys are cleared from the slot, opposing players pay a price for engaging. And of course, beyond the $/contract aspect, Buf wasn't good enough to play D for Q, joining a long line of jettisoned guys that simply couldn't live up to Q's standards.

The list continues to grow.

Meanwhile, we can all look forward to Gustafsson, Forsling, Ruuta, Oesterle . . .
- savvyone-1

Nobody fits into Q's system these days unless you're an undersized, puck moving, stick checking defenseman that is great at avoiding body contact...Ie....the above.

I don't know how you lay that on the FO
- oldduffman

Disagree Duff.....Quenneville is the low man on the front office to totum pole. They have told us repeatedly that all decisions are mutually agreed upon. That means NMC'S , dollars, term, and also who gets moved at the deadline I would think. I'm sure Quenneville wanted him gone first, but the boys up the ladder probably had to agree with him.
Scary thought isn't it ??

Brad Marchand needs to stop kissing and licking opponents. That’s apparently the message the NHL has sent to the Boston Bruins and its star player who has, on more than one occasion, used his mouth to do more than trash talk this season.

Scott gotta disagree completely. Actually if these play-offs have taught anything it is that these teams are not great teams and have lots of weaknesses. The Hawks are not far away at all. A poor record is actually very deceiving. I’m not defending the Hawks’ record but an increase of only 10 wins changes 33-39-10 to 43-29-10 and 96 points. With an increase of only 12 wins the Hawks’ record is 45-27-10 and 100 points. The Hawks had many games lost because of poor goaltending when Crawford was lost. Lost other games with Ulf’s Offensive Defensive System which will surely change and actually was modified as the season went along. Also lost a bunch of games at the end of season when the record really dipped as Hawks just couldn’t get up for the games. Hawks could easily be right there again next season.
- Z3Hawk

I'll counter this by stating that the Hawks won about 10 extra games last year because of Corey Crawford's goalie wins. The CORE of this team that has already won 3 CUPS does not have the fight in them any longer to play 60 minutes. They glide along and expect their superior talent to bail them out with victories without busting their butts for 60 minutes....hence the CC goalie wins last year. If CC returns healthy and can play at his Vezina level, then there's hope for next year. If not, it will be more of the same from the CORE not named Patrick Kane.

Nobody fits into Q's system these days unless you're an undersized, puck moving, stick checking defenseman that is great at avoiding body contact...Ie....the above.
- Hawkytalk

They will not all play at the same time

They will not all play at the same time
- jhawk59

Unless Bowman comes up empty this summer with any trades or signings, then he may have no option but to start at least 3 of Forsling, Rutta, Oesterle, and Gustafsson along with Keith, Seabrook, and Murphy. Even Murphy isn't an automatic under Q so it could very well be the Fantastic Four.

If that's the case, more of the same next season with a few goalie wins from Crawford assuming he's healthy.

Disagree Duff.....Quenneville is the low man on the front office to totum pole. They have told us repeatedly that all decisions are mutually agreed upon. That means NMC'S , dollars, term, and also who gets moved at the deadline I would think. I'm sure Quenneville wanted him gone first, but the boys up the ladder probably had to agree with him.
Scary thought isn't it ??
- Hawkytalk

I don't know .Q seems to decide a player fate quickly ,and then either puts him on a short lease or banish him to the dog house . As with Kempny he was never given a chance . FO I image was elated to get a 3rd after it became clear Kempny would never return as long as Q was running the gong show . And now he playing top pair defense for a cup contending team

Most already know Kane is captain of Team USA for the upcoming world championship, but Murphy was also named an alternate captain. Didn't see who the other A's are.

Wilson suspended for three games!

https://www.nhl.com/video...es/t-277440360/c-60214803

Most already know Kane is captain of Team USA for the upcoming world championship, but Murphy was also named an alternate captain. Didn't see who the other A's are.
- AEL_Fox

Murphy has actually been named Captain before.

I don't know .Q seems to decide a player fate quickly ,and then either puts him on a short lease or banish him to the dog house . As with Kempny he was never given a chance . FO I image was elated to get a 3rd after it became clear Kempny would never return as long as Q was running the gong show . And now he playing top pair defense for a cup contending team
- oldduffman

Agreed. I'm sure they had no intent on signing after this year because Q didn't like him. It's Q's Gong Show that's for sure.....but the powers above all had to agree as well. That's the scary thought.

So let's go sign Jack Johnson ???
Please......headshaking thought IMO.

The Pens/Caps game before the one last night was the game I think Wilson should have been suspended for. He got a guy who didn't see it coming flush in the melon. Textbook hit to the head.

Last night I saw Wilson try to hit a guy like it was done back in the day when I played. I hit like that and got hit like that. The speed of the game, the size, strength, and training regiments all matter. But the biggest difference between now and 40 years ago is that back in the day we didn't have ballistic plastic shoulder and elbow pads. Both men saw each other and braced for the hit. Nobody was hit from behind. From where I come from that was a good hit. Wilson is just bigger. If I tried to run an oncoming bus I'd get hurt too.

What gets me is Wilson doesn't have to go out of his way to run a guy. He can play. If the league disciplines with the intent of reducing his predatory habits I'm ok with that. Imo, they'd be doing him a favor.

Keep your head up when Tom Wilson is on the ice. Many disagree and that’s fine... the way I saw it was Aston Reese skating with his head down, then saw him coming about a stride before contact, adjusted his shoulder to embrace the contact into Wilson and the vastly bigger Wilson exploded through the shoulder and then into the head. Shoulder was initial contact point IMO. They didn’t call it a penalty on the ice bc the Refs both saw it as shoulder to shoulder in real time. In slow motion it looks way worse but bc it’s Wilson it’s a suspension. The injury also sealed his fate. That would’ve been no penalty or suspension before the lockout.

Wilson also has 1st round skill and has been playing top line so huge loss both literally and figuratively for the Capitals.

Wilson suspended for three games!

https://www.nhl.com/video...es/t-277440360/c-60214803
- walleyeb1

Based on what? Why didn't Malkin have a hearing? Why didn't Renne have a hearing? Next season (if Crow is back), first game vs. Pitt he should lay a two-hander at the knees of Crosby! Get Bettman's bed buddy out of the game, maybe he will leave too!

Based on what? Why didn't Malkin have a hearing? Why didn't Renne have a hearing? Next season (if Crow is back), first game vs. Pitt he should lay a two-hander at the knees of Crosby! Get Bettman's bed buddy out of the game, maybe he will leave too!
- powerenforcer

Well there's the problem with the leauge. Pauqette gets an instigator and a 10 minute misconduct for taking on Backus, who charged his player. The league has caused this crap by not allowing the boys to sort it out. How long do you think marchant would be licking people if they kicked his a$$. The league is allowing bad behavior.

Ask a player.

Also, too...

The players wear too much equipment. Why do they even have shoulder pads? Will they fall on their shoulders? The equipment should be made to protect themselves, not hurt others. An elbow pad simply needs to keep an elbow safe not break an opponents jaw.

Minimize equipment.
Get.rid of the instigator.
Make hockey great again.

P.S. The price they pay will be more concussions and broken jaws.

P.P.S. The coaches challenge gimmick should be dumped too.

Hey on the radio announcers....

Judd Sirrot is doing a great job for Baastin.

Vegas or bust.

Based on what? Why didn't Malkin have a hearing? Why didn't Renne have a hearing? Next season (if Crow is back), first game vs. Pitt he should lay a two-hander at the knees of Crosby! Get Bettman's bed buddy out of the game, maybe he will leave too!
- powerenforcer

Now, Now, now...don't go there. We all know Malkin is getting up there in years and will likely need to take a maintenance day off when they play the Blackhawks next year.
(The way things oughta be)

Now, Now, now...don't go there. We all know Malkin is getting up there in years and will likely need to take a maintenance day off when they play the Blackhawks next year.
(The way things oughta be)
- 35Tony0

Don't go where?